Romeo and Juliet

“The essence of being human is that one does not seek perfection,” stated by the British author, George Orwell. Everyone should understand that perfection is unachievable; therefore, humans carry various flaws. William Shakespeare demonstrates this in the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet where although Romeo is the tragic hero, he also shows an excessive amount of tragic flaws that bring him down throughout the play. One of the flaws that he carries is falling in love too quickly and deeply. In another flaw, he shows his impulsiveness. His last tragic flaw illustrates how naïve he is to believe in fate. From the beginning of the tragedy, Romeo’s inconstant love with different ladies is expressed. Shakespeare portrays Romeo’s ardent love for the gorgeous Rosaline who refuses to break her vow of chastity to be with Romeo. After discerning Romeo’s depression, his friends, Mercutio and Benvolio, persuade Romeo into going to the Capulet party. There, Romeo instantaneously falls in love with Juliet, a young lady who he has never met before and his infatuation for Rosaline diminishes. The next morning, Romeo goes to Friar Laurence to seek advice on a nuptial with Juliet. Friar Laurence is startled to see that he has quickly moved on from Rosaline to Juliet and responds, “Young men’s love then lies not truly in their hearts, but their eyes” (II, III, 67-68). In other words, Friar Laurence believes that Romeo only loves Juliet for her appearance. He also admonishes Romeo that marrying Juliet will cause devastation but Romeo stubbornly disagrees and proceeds to marry Juliet. Romeo does not realize how quick these events are unfolding and it is a matter of time until he reaches his downfall. Another tragic flaw that Romeo possesses is his impulsiveness. Throughout the play, Romeo makes decisions without considering the consequences. His mistakes bring several complications that eventually lead to his untimely death. For example, if he had carefully reconsidered his decision